Nonskid attachment for crutches or canes



Patented May 15-, 1945 ff UNITED TES PATENT OFFICE h h I 2,376,282 NONSKID- ATTACHMENT FOR. GRUTCI-IES R CANES I Frank}. Schroeder, Cleveland, Ohio Application May 9, 1944, Serial No. 534,747

9 Claims. (01. 135-53) This invention is a device for attachment to the bottoms of crutches or canes, and its purpose is to render the crutches. or canes safe'for use on icy walks or other slippery surfaces;

The device includes. a cushion, desirably of usual appearance, and a spur that is reciprocable in a bore of the cushion and is shiitable at will between-a position wherein itslower pointed end projects a substantial distance beyond the bearing surface 'of the cushion and a second "position wherein said end is well up within the bore so as. not to interfere with the customary functioning of the cushion.

Objects of th invention are toprovidea device of the character above described that isverysubstantial, durable, and effective, yet relatively simple and inexpensive} that requires little alteration of the crutch or cane in the attachment of the device thereto; that isconvenient of manipulation for the purpose of projecting and retracting the spur; that is neat and compact, light of weight, and attractive of appearance so that its presence in the structureof a crutch or cane is not objectionable in anyway; that is "adapted to. be filled or packed with a suitable'grease to in sure ease, of operation at all tlmesand preclude" freezing; wherein the spur is readily accessible for sharpening and for adjustment to compensate for its gradually changing length and more especially for the wearing away of the cushion, and

wherein provision is made to prevent accidental retraction of, the spur under the. weight of the user. i v

The foregoing objects, withothers hereinafter appearing, are attainedlin the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying draw ing wherein Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the device attached to the bottom of the shaft of a crutch or. cane; Fig. 2 is. a central longitudinal section through the device; showing the end of the crutch or cane shaft in elevation, the plane of section being indicated by the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional details onthe respective lines 3--3 and 4-4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5' is a perspective View of the shaft and its operat ing handle and the cam or eccentric that is adapted to be fixed to the shaft; Fig. 6 apex-"spective .view of the parts, in separated condition, of a structure that carries the spurand is reciprovide a tenon 3 that snugly fits within the casing and towhich the casing is fastened by screws 4. Thus, a shoulder 5 is providedwhichtakes the thrust of the casing when the weight of the user is imposed upon the crutch or cane. A relatively thick bottom wall 6 fits within the lower end of the cylindrical casing l and has, a peripheral flange 1 against which the end of the tubular wall of the casing bears. The, said tubular wall is attached to the end wall Sby making depressions 8 in the former wall that engage within an angular groove 9 of the end wall. The wall 6 has a central borelfl. w

Reciprocably mounted within thecasing I is a structure designated generally by the numeral the sleeve l3 has a split 20 that extends throughout its length on one side, anda shorter longitudinal split 2| on the other, the latter split opening through the top edge of the sleeve, and the cross bar I5 is provided with a threaded hole :22; that i is coincident with the axis of the sleevel3 and isv in alignment with the bore ll] of the end wall 6.

Occupyingthe yoke l4, and arranged for cooperation with the abutments l8 and I9, is a cam or eccentric 25 that is pinned or otherwise se cured to a shaft 26 which is journaled at itsiends in diametrically aligned bearing apertures in the cylindrical Wall of the casing I, said wall being made thicker or reinforced'in the regionof said apertures, as appears in Fig. 3.

To an extension 21 on one end] oi the shaft is pinned or otherwise fastened an operating handle 28, which serves incidentally. to prevent longitudinal movement of the shaft in one direction, and movement, of the shaft in the opposite direction is prevented by a pin 29 that extends through the shaft adjacent the inner end of the bearing next to said handle.

Stops 30 extend from the side of the :casing i,

above and below the end of the shaft 25 to which the operating handle 28is attached and serve,

cable within the casing of the device,"andFi -7 is a perspective view of the bottom of "the casing.

sirebl by reducing the endofthe shaft to pro--- through cooperation with the handle, to limit the throw of theshaft 26, and consequently that of thecamor eccentric 25, to In such a swing of the cam or eccentric, the structure I2 is given its maximum movement within the casing; and, for a reason which will hereinafter be explained,

I ally changingdength o f"thejs'pur, he to e necessary? when the cam or eccentric isswung in a direction from unnecessary wear in case the cushion 35 toward the bottom of the casing, it passes a few becomes worn away enough to expose the spur, de r es ey nd dead center, o to sp ak, in which if the latter were retracted only as far as could position it is stopped by engagement with the be accomplished through the operation of the solid side member ofthe yoke 14, the opposite 5 handle 28; and the spur should be left in this side member being slotted, as clearly shown in condition until freezing weather sets in in the fall Figs. 2, 3 and 6, to allow clearance for the cam or when it will then be readjusted in proper relaeccentric as the latter swings from one end otion to the prevailing plane of the bearing surward the other of its throw. Carried y the 0pface of the cushion. This precaution also avoids e ati e andle 8 is a leaf sp n that e a es 10 the, ma k f, :floors or ther :s l fgfieces in case pressed seats 33 adjacent the "stops 3 0 W the'cushion wears awaysuificiently to permit the e Operating handle is moved into contact Wit spur, in its normally retracted position, to engage said stops. such surfaces.

Applied to the lower end of the. caing I, is. th

l-Ia th -;;d;es,cribed my invention, what I upper socketed end of a cushion 35 of 'rubbr p M other suitable resilient material which desirably i' A device comprising a casing for attachment has the appearance and physicalcharacteristics to ab tgiin'b a crutch or cane, Said casing of Standard crutch cane so W PiP Q- AE P having tan-opening, a structure reciprocable in a central longitudinal bore 36of the cushion 35 f '"5 fi "5 'g i' having adjustable connection registers with the bore 1 0 of the end wall-5,; S1i d h,.ifi i structure and projecting through the ably fitting a d bores, a Sp a f i a i. bottom.of. .the casing, 1

Itsiower end-is shown as'pr'cvid d with a slot 4l for the reception of thin blade by the spur may be rotated; and it'supper endis threaded 33 operativeconn and"'scrwed into the"thr"eac ld hdlel ran: the; ff crossbar l5 that constitutesa part of the'stru ture" 12 "By reason bf the constructi n just d scribed, the" spurf'in'ay' be ad l'us'te d' respeot to said structure tdcompen or'we'ar Qf'the cushion '35,as well'as to talk cushiom rt, atr $ellm+ na saaelof: hel nures nr si g aircasi e fioriatstaoh n 'l rz vli ciprocablel in; e mechanis i occasionalsharpeningl" Also, by o construction, the spunmay be ta efi llh placed without dismantling o removing t viceofwithclrawingthe' cushion 31f I Y in I L i ,7 l", a, v

'The sleeve 13 is constructed olt resilientm l t' p .h, ing; operativeicenneletiort. iQlfi-fiiil QI ng'..witlrz.said imeche: m in i zhenla e 'g the-casing beingi hionuabplltmthes IQWELiEIld-l? an ethe p tomsof 'tlieicas ignesi zbcreslz' andtalspur'. slidablylfltzi estande h eadedlylconnected .atnits'i dc, aid-structures;

i -e fi ifiel a f lmpljising atgreaseeretaining cas f ing fprattaghn ent to ,the lbottomaofva 'cr-utch on rial; and by" reasonlof itsbe H g long split, it yields 'circuinfei e 'rit'ially 'and engages the 'peripheral'wall of c' a s structure-f I 2, of which the at s" i t its lengttmfor-passage ot grease .he casingebeing :provided witlr a tad too. the lstructure and pro id;more;and ihaving -aasliding thenc ,singnghavings-e an .opening pand ,4 berated-means textending through-said" opening and adaptedntoireciprocate said structure, said casing being adapted to receive a cush--- I ionmclhbfit aboutythei lowercend thereof--that 1s pro edmvithanopehi-ngfor-the ipassjageof'ithe *1 very satisfactory and p the inventi n; wish; it to 15 do not linii't myself to the pr tails M further than req ire appendedciaimef-Theiu v v acofistructi'on that I have used where'I have" applied the 1dnvicetcompriisingrlaogrease-retaining'3:a ing for, attachment ltOt-the bOtl'lQm of---a cr-utch or pane. 1a,; structure .1 withimtthe .acasing' frictiondllyjr engaging 317. 1 gal eripheralrl wall vthereof and -open3: from, end to .end lfonthe. passage ofi'grease therea- I M V W I through; manually operab-1e: r'n-echanism withim sms' y're ativ t its ngth the- .ca,s ing;;for reciprocating saidnstrueturek'and'r 4 L V a,spurconneotedqrat-its inner end to said struccasing 'andhav'e' changed the proportions f H b cam 25 accordingly in order to adapt the 5 .smn singm gl'ease retaininghast 4 1 13138 bottom ZOf 13,". c'putc ha 1 .qti gfia withinethe .casingly te; r nheralmanctnere a an 1 r ml the .passe'.ge.... 1-cv g lt anism' to the casiiig'of esser diainet modification" is "s'o' nearly like thg e H I: h showniri' the drawing that f urther ill ustration i addifibntb fieple ei n .h eems? i 2:

f e. f e .i ez naweatherhasipasse for eciprocatingi. said-sti7uc- Yiil lg bore in the bottom there.

operablee? mechanismher about its lower end that is provided with a bore registering with the bore in the, bottom of the casing, and a spur slidably fitting said bores and adjustably connectedat itsinner end to said structure.

6. A device comprising a cylindrical casing for attachment to the bottom of a crutch orcane,

a longitudinally split cylindrical shellwithin the casing frlctionally engaging the peripheral wall thereof, a yoke secured to the top of the shell and including vertically spaced abutments, a bar extending across and secured to the bottom of the shell, said bar having a threaded hole, the axis of aid hole being coincident with that of the shell, the bottom of the casing having a bore in axial alignment with said hole, a shaft supported by and between opposed portions of the peripheral wall of the casing, said shaft extending through handleateach limit of its swinging movement,

reciprocable within the casing, the structure including at its lower end a, part having a threaded hole in axial alignment with the aforesaid bores,

a spur slidable within said bores and having its upper end threaded and screwed into said threaded hole, manually operable mechanism within the casing for reciprocating said structure, the

casing having means to limit the movement of said structure.

8. A device comprising a casing for attachment at its upper end to the bottom of a crutch or cane,

abottom wall fitted to the lower end of said casing, the casing being adapted to receive a cushion member about the lower end thereof, the aforethe casing being adapted to receive a cushion member about the lower end thereof which mema ber is provided with a bore registering withthe previously mentioned bore, and a spur slidable within said bores and threaded at its inner end for adjustment within the threaded hole of the aforesaid bar.

7. A device comprising a cylindrical casingfor attachment at itsupper end to the bottom of a crutch or cane, a circular bottom wall fitted within the lower end. of said casing and having a peripheral flange against which the end of said casing bears, the wall above said flange having a. circumferential groove into which parts of the casing are depressed for attaching said wall to the casing, the casing being adapted to receive .a cushion member about the lower end thereof,

the aforesaid bottom wall and said cushion member having aligned bores the axes of which are a bottom wall fitted tothe lower end of said cascoincident with that of said casing, a structure said bottom. wall and said cushion member having aligned bores the axes of which are coincident with that of said casing a structure reciprocable within the casing, the'structure including at its lower end a part having a threaded hole in axial alignment with the aforesaid bores, a spur slidable within said bores and having its upper end threaded and screwed into said threaded hole,

manually operable mechanism within the casing for reciprocating said structure, the casing having means to limit the movement of said structure, the mechanismassuming a condition when the spur is projected that positively, blocks retraction of the spur.

9. A device comprising a casing for attachment at its upper end to the bottom of a crutch or cane,

ing, the casing beingadapted to receive a cushion member about the lower end thereof, the aforesaid bottom wall and said cushion member hav-" ing aligned bores the axes of which are coincident with that of. said casing, a structure reciprocable within the casing, a spur slidable within said bores and having connection at'its upper end with said structure, manually operable :mechanism within the casing for reciprocating said 1 structure, the casing being provided with stops, and yielding means associated with said manually operable mechanism for engagement with a selected one of said stops to hold said structure in a given position.

i FRANK J. SCHIROEDER. 

